Removing the rear caliper questions.

Joined
Sep 4, 2013
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8,110
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Cleveland
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2010 ST1300
I removed my rear caliper so I could pull the wheel and change the tire and had a few problems doing so.

The big book (Honda Shop Manual) says: (Rear Wheel Removal, page 16-6)
1. Remove rear fender.
2. Remove rear brake pad, pg 17-17
2A. Remove pad pin rubber plug and pad pin.
2B. Remove brake pads
3. Remove rear caliper stopper bolt.
4. Remove rear caliper from the rear brake disc.

This is where I had problems. No matter how I slid the caliper right and left on the pins, it would not clear the end of the pin on the fat aluminum piece (Bracket, Sub assembly on the fiche). I finally pulled the caliper bolt but it would still not clear the end of the pin.

I pulled the axle and when this was far enough out, the whole aluminum bracket and caliper slid out.

Interestingly, under Rear Brake Caliper, Removal, pg 17-49 it says to drain the hyd. system and remove the brake hoses; Remove the rear wheel (pg 16-6); Remove the rear brake pads (pg 17-17); and Remove the rear brake caliper. How do you remove the wheel with the caliper still in place? Maybe yank real hard.

So, what is the accepted procedure for removing the caliper?

Oh, I tied the caliper up with a piece of wire to the rear grab bar so there is no strain on the hoses or fittings.
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2011
Messages
7,062
Location
Arizona
Bike
2007 Honda ST1300A
I removed my rear caliper so I could pull the wheel and change the tire and had a few problems doing so.

The big book (Honda Shop Manual) says: (Rear Wheel Removal, page 16-6)
1. Remove rear fender.
2. Remove rear brake pad, pg 17-17
2A. Remove pad pin rubber plug and pad pin.
2B. Remove brake pads
3. Remove rear caliper stopper bolt.
4. Remove rear caliper from the rear brake disc.

This is where I had problems. No matter how I slid the caliper right and left on the pins, it would not clear the end of the pin on the fat aluminum piece (Bracket, Sub assembly on the fiche). I finally pulled the caliper bolt but it would still not clear the end of the pin.

I pulled the axle and when this was far enough out, the whole aluminum bracket and caliper slid out.

Interestingly, under Rear Brake Caliper, Removal, pg 17-49 it says to drain the hyd. system and remove the brake hoses; Remove the rear wheel (pg 16-6); Remove the rear brake pads (pg 17-17); and Remove the rear brake caliper. How do you remove the wheel with the caliper still in place? Maybe yank real hard.

So, what is the accepted procedure for removing the caliper?

Oh, I tied the caliper up with a piece of wire to the rear grab bar so there is no strain on the hoses or fittings.
You should not remove any of the caliper bolts, with the exception of the caliper stopper bolt. By doing so, you risk damaging the grommets, cross-threading the pins, etc.
 

dduelin

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
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Long ago I slightly modified the SM instructions and just leave the caliper on the bracket. After the axle is pulled out enough to remove the mounting bracket I move the caliper on it's bracket up and off the brake disk then pull the wheel off. The caliper on it's bracket will kind of rest on the swing arm.
 

Kevin_56

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The steps in the book are a little out of order if all you are trying to do is remove the rear wheel to do a tire replacement.

1. remove saddle bags to give more room to work on rear of the bike.
2. remove the rear fender.
3. remove or swing the right muffle out of the way by loosening the muffler clamp and removing the 2 bolts supporting the muffle below the saddle bags.
4. Remove the brake pads by removing the rear pin with a 5mm allen wrench
6. remove the caliper stopper bolt
7. Remove the axle nut.
8. twist and pull to remove the axle until the caliper support bracket and caliper can be lifted off the rear rotor, continue removing the axle.
9. the caliper assemble will need to be kept raised to remove the wheel.
10. slide the wheel to the left to disengage the splines from the rear hub.
11. wiggle, jiggle and eventually you will be able to roll the wheel out rearward.
 
Joined
Oct 15, 2007
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Kevin, the answer that you posted is actually how to remove the rear wheel, but this process actually includes removal of the rear caliper too, so you've just killed two birds with one stone.
 
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